MORGANTOWN — The final results are in, and the 2021-22 athletic year at WVU can be summed up with a simple shrug of the shoulders.
As if to say, “We’re not exactly sure what to make of it all.”
It’s easy to point to the disappointment that came with a football season that ended with a 6-7 record and a lackluster performance in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl loss against Minnesota.
The men’s basketball team finished last in the Big 12, and it’s 16-17 mark kept the Mountaineers away from any postseason play for the first time since 2013.
There was no NCAA banner for the rifle team, the women’s soccer team missed out on the NCAA tournament after 21 consecutive trips, while the baseball team was also snubbed after setting a school record with 14 Big 12 victories.
There were positives, beginning with the performance of the men’s soccer team, which was just a few penalty kicks shy of advancing to its first ever College Cup.
The women’s volleyball team made history by qualifying for its first NCAA tournament.
With all of that in mind, the page now flips and the thought of 2022-23 brings with it optimism, if not flat-out hope that the next sports year will be better.
If it is indeed a year in which WVU makes its presence felt on the national stage, these will be the top 10 athletes leading the way:
10. Bjarne Thieson, men’s soccer
We begin with the top guy from the top team from last year.
WVU will begin the 2022 season in a new conference (Sun Belt), but the Mountaineers will be leaning on this junior defender from Kiel, Germany.
Thieson played a major role in WVU’s back line that pitched nine shutouts last season, while playing the second-most minutes on the team.
He scored two goals on 16 shots and was named third-team All-American, just the 12th in the program’s history.
PROJECTION: WVU is looking for a new goalkeeper, but a strong nucleus returns to make another run at the NCAA tournament. Thieson could be in line for more All-American honors, as well as conference honors in a league that had four current teams play in the NCAAs last season.
9. Emmitt Matthews Jr., men’s basketball
Matthews is both an old face and a new addition to the Mountaineers.
After three seasons with the Mountaineers, the 6-foot-7 forward transferred to Washington.
With the Huskies, Matthews set career-highs in scoring (11.7 ppg) and rebounding (4.7 rpg), while connecting on 40 of 119 from 3-point range.
Matthews transferred back to WVU in April and will have one season of eligibility remaining.
PROJECTION: On a team looking for a proven scorer, Matthews’ previous experience in the Big 12 will go a long way in him becoming a leader for the Mountaineers. We’re guessing 14 points and five rebounds per game.
8. J.J. Wetherholt, baseball
Wetherholt was a unanimous selection to the all-Big 12 freshman team, and for good reason.
He hit .308 with five home runs and 39 RBIs in his first season out of high school. He also adds some speed with 15 stolen bases.
Down the stretch, he batted .440 over the team’s final seven games with four doubles and 12 RBIs.
He’s able to play both second and third base, but could potentially see most of his time at third base next season.
PROJECTION: The Mountaineers are projected to return the bulk of their starting lineup, meaning higher expectations are on the way.
We’re seeing a future of a .320 batting average with eight home runs and 50 RBIs, placing Wetherholt in contention for all-Big 12 honors.
7. Peyton Hall, wrestling
At 165 pounds, the Chester native finished 28-6 and placed eighth at the NCAA championships, becoming the program’s 34th All-American.
He finished second at the Big 12 championships, and has now competed in the NCAA tournament in each of his first two seasons.
He’s 44-12 overall over his first two seasons.
PROJECTION: How about a 30-win season? That hasn’t been done at WVU since Noah Adams in 2020.
Hall was the No. 9 seed at last season’s NCAAs, but we can see him moving up.
6. Zach Frazier, football
The Fairmont native turned a lot of heads with his play at center last season after moving over from right guard.
He allowed just three sacks and registered 10 games without allowing a sack. WVU’s coaching staff graded him as having 63 knockdown blocks.
He’s a two-year starter already and was as an all-Big 12 academic first-team member last season.
PROJECTION: If WVU’s offensive line is the strength, then Frazier is the leader of that group.
He’s already been projected as an all-Big 12 first-team center by Athlon, and we see no reason he can’t reach those expectations.
5. Jordan Brewster, women’s soccer
The senior defender from North Canton, Ohio, may be the most decorated athlete on this list.
She was a second-team All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, while earning all-Big 12 first team last season.
She’s returning for her fifth season of eligibility looking to get the Mountaineers back in the NCAA tournament after leading WVU in minutes played last season.
PROJECTION: Winning another Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year is in the works.
How about Big 12 Player of the Year? That will depend on how well the Mountaineers rebound after finishing sixth in the Big 12 last season.
4. Austin Davis, baseball
Davis has already earned his degree, but is eligible to return for a fifth season.
If he does, Davis can build on a season that saw him named to the all-Big 12 first team after batting .330 with four home runs, 26 RBIs and 29 stolen bases.
He’s a career .313 hitter with 64 stolen bases, as well as being one of the best defensive outfielders in the Big 12.
PROJECTION: If Davis does return to WVU, he could become the school’s first-ever player with 100 career stolen bases, as well as registering 200 career hits.
What we see is Davis becoming the top lead-off hitter in the Big 12 with a .340 average, five home runs, 33 RBIs and 40 stolen bases.
3. Dante Stills, football
The second Fairmont native on this list decided against turning pro and opted to return for his fifth season of eligibility.
In 2021, Stills led the Mountaineers with 15 tackles for loss and seven quarterback sacks.
He finished with 36 tackles overall and was named all-Big 12 first team.
Over his first four seasons, Stills has played in 47 games and registered 19 quarterback sacks.
PROJECTION: WVU hasn’t had a player finish with 10 or more sacks in a season since 2010, when Bruce Irvin had 14 and Julian Miller had 10.
If Stills could get there as a lineman, that would be impressive, but Athlon has him projected for another all-Big 12 first-team type of season.
2. J.T. Daniels, football
We can’t remember when another athlete transferred to WVU with as much hype as Daniels.
The former 5-star recruit has had stops at both USC and Georgia, but is now scheduled to resurrect a WVU offense that was ninth in scoring last season.
For his career, Daniels has played in 21 games, while throwing for 4,840 yards and 32 touchdowns. His career completion percentage is 63.8.
PROJECTION: Under new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, we see Daniels surpassing all of West Virginia’s passing marks of last season.
We’ll go with 3,550 passing yards and 28 touchdowns for Daniels, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
1. Ceili McCabe, cross-country
There is no other WVU athlete in better position to compete for a national championship than McCabe, a junior from Vancouver British Columbia.
She took third overall at last year’s NCAA championships with a time of 19:29.5.
It was the highest finish in school history.
BYU’s Whittni Orton, the national champion, has moved on, leaving McCabe and Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat as the top two returning finishers from last season.
McCabe finished 42nd overall as a sophomore.
PROJECTION: If we don’t predict a national championship for McCabe, then this list is sort of ho-hum. The 2022 NCAA championship race is at Oklahoma State. McCabe will see you there.
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